On 16 September, it was over for news TV and the news Super app for a number of products: LG Smart TVs from 2015-2017. Samsung Smart TV from 2016-2017. Oldest Apple TV. As well as PlayStation 4 and 5. Buy yourself a streaming box for between NOK 500 and 2,000, writes news to its own users. Out of the question, says Christian Kristiansen, who recently discovered that the news app has paid off at his home. – I will stop using news. Basic mistrust of technology Kristiansen says that his television is about 10 years old. – The news app worked perfectly, until it suddenly disappeared. He usually uses news sporadically, but extra often at Christmas. Now maybe Christmas ribs will be cooked without Donald Duck & Co. in the background. The news TV app has stopped working Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB – It is completely out of the question to buy gadgets that I don’t even know how long they can be used for. After all, it ends up with a fundamental mistrust of technology. Finally, you’ve managed to upgrade yourself enough, and then it stops working. Kristiansen argues that it is a problematic social development that different actors decide whether the hardware you have at home works or not. He believes that this is particularly objectionable, since news has a notification responsibility in war and disasters, and that they switched from the FM network to DAB a few years ago. – We are at the mercy of a very vulnerable technological structure, and the function is affected by different people’s daily routine. From an environmental perspective, it is also very interesting as this contributes to us throwing away even more. Hard to complain about How long can you expect the TV to work? Senior advisor at the Consumer Council, Thomas Iversen, says that a product bought after 1 January 2024 should initially last for at least five years, i.e. both the product and the software. – The new Consumer Purchase Act also gives you the right to necessary updates throughout the product’s lifetime, he says to news. At the same time, it is important to bear in mind that this does not apply to apps from other suppliers. – As long as this was not guaranteed by the store or the manufacturer when you bought the product. We fully understand that many people find that the TV loses important functionality when apps stop working. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to complain about, especially when it comes to older products, says Iversen. Distribution manager at news, Bjarne Andre Myklebust says that he fully understands that users who lose access to the app are frustrated. – We ourselves wish it wasn’t like that. I’m the first to regret it. Unfortunately, technology becomes outdated over time. He goes on to say that this applies not only to smart TV functions, but also to, for example, PCs, phones and tablets. – They can still be used, but some functions do not keep pace with development. Read the rest of the answer to Myklebust further down in the case. Thinks a TV should last for 44 years Anja Bakken Riise, head of Fremtiden i våre hands, largely agrees with Kristiansen. And consequently unimpressed. – This practice is very bad news for the environment. news must work out its own environmental strategy, she says and points out that a TV can contain a number of valuable resources such as copper, iron, gold and silver. – And all of this is extracted through processes that require both energy and chemicals, which then lead to high climate emissions. – news should take this seriously and really investigate how to help make it easy for people to keep things they have. Photo: Renate Madsen / The future in our hands – How long do you think a TV should last? Riise replies that analyzes have been carried out on how long a PC should live. – They should last for at least 20 years, but actually for 44 years if it is to make sense from a climate perspective. I think that is quite transferable to TVs. They are made to last a long time and we should keep them as long as possible. Much of what is in a TV is extracted from mines. Riise believes that overuse of electronics means that we need more mining. She asks: – Will news be associated with such a practice? Or will news help us to keep the resources in use for as long as possible? – No reason to buy a new TV The head of distribution at news says that it is the smart TV part itself that is unable to deliver the experience news wants and is obliged to deliver. This, he says, can be solved with a power box. – No reason to buy a new TV. Furthermore, he says that news updates its systems to be able to keep up with people’s expectations. Nevertheless, consideration must be given to what is a sensible use of state kroner. – When certain TV models reach a certain age, this becomes a challenge. We try to support as long as it is reasonable. Older devices are necessarily no longer supported by the manufacturer and do not receive necessary security and functionality updates after a certain time. Distribution manager at news, Bjarne Andre Myklebust. Photo: Anne Liv Ekroll / news – But why can’t people keep the old version of the app? – For news, it will be demanding, and very expensive, to maintain and maintain special versions that are only used by a minority of TVs and that do not meet today’s requirements. – Extra responsibility Thomas Iversen, senior advisor at the Consumer Council, says that it is difficult to complain about older products where apps stop working. – In many cases, there are solutions that allow you to still access various services. However, this often requires both the purchase of new equipment and knowledge of how it works, he says. Thomas Iversen says that news, as a public broadcaster, has an additional responsibility when it comes to accessibility. Photo: Aurora Ytreberg Meløe / news He says he understands that it is demanding for news to offer the app on many different platforms in different versions, but: – At the same time, there is obviously an additional responsibility on a state-funded public broadcaster when it comes to availability in different channels – also over time. Published 18.10.2024, at 12.04
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